Razzle Dazzle ’Em

Sing your favorite show tunes each Monday at The St. Anthony

By Melanie Robinson

Photo By Scott Ball

Whether performing in front of a small crowd at The St. Anthony Hotel or thousands at the AT&T Center before a Spurs game, the Moipei sisters say stage fright and fear are always present. But that doesn’t stop them from singing. “The best thing to do is to just let go, and sing like you are in the shower,” says Mary Moipei, who sings in San Antonio along with sisters Marta and Magdalene.

In recent months, the women have become regulars at the Woodlawn Theatre, but they initially caused jaws to drop in the Alamo City during a Broadway-themed open mic night at The St. Anthony Hotel.

Known as Broadway Nights, the open mic sessions, presented in conjunction with the Woodlawn Theatre, fill the hotel’s famous Peacock Alley with music each Monday evening. Performers from the Woodlawn Theatre are always in attendance, belting out Broadway classics, such as Wicked’s “Defying Gravity,” Annie’s “Tomorrow” and Chicago’s “All That Jazz.” But guests are invited to take the mic, as well. Singers can bring their own sheet music or select from an iPad music library available and showcase their pipes alongside pianist Darrin Newhardt, a music director and Woodlawn accompanist. Newhardt plays The St. Anthony’s prized 1924 Hamburg Steinway piano, which was repurchased and rehabilitated during the hotel’s 2015 renovations after being absent from the hotel for two decades.

Wendy Haralson, The St. Anthony’s catering and social media manager, says the hotel’s collaboration with the Woodlawn Theatre isn’t arbitrary. “Music has always had a chapter in The St. Anthony’s story. Between 1930 and 1967, a string quartet performed in Peacock Alley seven days a week,” she says. “We knew we wanted the music to return to The St. Anthony once the renovation was complete.”

Not only has music returned to the hotel, stars are being born in its halls. After staff from the Woodlawn heard the Moipeis sing at Broadway Nights this spring, they invited the women to perform following a Saturday play. The sisters already were well-known songstresses in their home country of Kenya, where they performed as the Moipei Quartet along with their youngest sister Seraphine, who still lives in Kenya. Now, they’ve also developed a fan base among San Antonians. The women, who list Les Misérables’ “Empty Chairs at Empty Table,” and “Guns and Ships,” from Hamilton among their favorite show tunes, say they’re just grateful to perform. “We sing any chance we get,” Mary says. “We love being around people who appreciate musical theater as much as we do.”

Fact File

Broadway Nights / Mondays, 5:45-7:45 p.m. / Peacock Alley in The St. Anthony Hotel / Note: This program is not available all year (including during August 2016). Please check with The St. Anthony for specific dates.